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Abstract

A new method has been demonstrated for absolute-length measurements
of a long-baseline Fabry–Perot cavity by use of phase-modulated
light. This method is based on determination of a free spectral
range (FSR) of the cavity from the frequency difference between a
carrier and phase-modulation sidebands, both of which resonate in the
cavity. Sensitive response of the Fabry–Perot cavity near resonant
frequencies ensures accurate determination of the FSR and thus of the
absolute length of the cavity. This method was applied to a 300-m
Fabry–Perot cavity of the TAMA gravitational wave detector that is
being developed at the National Astronomical Observatory,
Tokyo. With a modulation frequency of ∼12 MHz, we successfully
determined the absolute cavity length with resolution of 1 µm
(3 × 10-9 in strain) and observed local ground
strain variations of 6 × 10-8.

References

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